TV Review – HBO Series: Luck
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Luck Monitored: Special Circumstances
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During the filming of the new HBO series, Luck, two fatal accidents occurred several months apart — one during the filming of the pilot and one during the filming of the seventh episode. The two racehorses stumbled and fell during short racing sequences. The horses were checked immediately afterwards by the onsite veterinarians and in each case a severe fracture deemed the condition inoperable. The decision was that the most humane course of action was euthanasia. An American Humane Certified Animal Safety Representative™ was monitoring the animal action on the set when the incidents occurred and observed the veterinarian on the set perform the soundness checks and approve the horses, prior to racing them. A full investigation and necropsy was conducted for each accident immediately afterwards.
American Humane Association is deeply saddened by the deaths of these two wonderful animals. Protecting the welfare of the animals we serve is not only our mission, it is the passion of each and every one of us who works for this program. Because of these accidents, the two episodes in question do not carry the full certification, “No Animals Were Harmed”®. To provide the highest possible degree of scrutiny with serial productions, each episode is monitored individually and given a rating. No such incidents occurred in other episodes, which did allow them to achieve certification. Following the second incident, American Humane Association insisted that production be suspended and imposed additional stringent soundness protocols. These included, but were not limited to, daily training and care records, microchips in all of the horses, hiring an additional veterinarian to do the comprehensive soundness checks at the top of the day, and radiographs of the legs of all horses being considered for use on the show. We insisted that these protocols be in place before any filming could resume. HBO agreed to all our requests and worked collaboratively regarding these many additional safety guidelines and precautions, and resumed filming once all of the horses in the show stable were radiographed and those deemed at risk were pulled.
Luck is a series about the horse racing industry. Throughout the series there are numerous racing sequences as well as milder action with horses in barns, being walked, groomed, bathed, etc. Some of the racing scenes appear to be very intense; horses are seen running at fast speeds, and at times close to one another and the railing that surrounds the track. The extraordinary amount of horse work incorporated in this plotline called for several American Humane Association Certified Animal Safety Representatives™ to ensure that all guidelines were met, including the additional precautions, and all the animal action was monitored.
The racing sequences were filmed at Santa Anita Racetrack in Southern CA. An American Humane Association Certified Animal Safety Representative™ was present when the vet checked each horse before filming began, after each racing scene, and at the end of each day. All grounds were inspected before each race and cast, crew and takes were limited. Mandatory daily safety meetings were held each morning before filming began. The horses that appeared in the race sequences were racehorses that were conditioned to this racing type of environment. Some sequences required trained movie horses to work with specially designed camera cars.
A total of up to nine horses were run on the track in any given racing scene. Each horse was limited to two runs per day and was rested in between those runs. Each race was shot in separate takes and the horses only ran halfway around the track, or less, in any given take. Before each racing sequence, each horse was placed inside the starting gate one at a time. Action would begin immediately after being placed in the gate so the horses would not have to stand still for too long. An experienced gate man opened the gate each time. Only experienced jockeys and/or stunt riders rode the horses during the racing sequences. An ambulance and a vet were present at all times, and the vet would follow the horses in a truck during each race. Each horse was accompanied by its own groomer. Wranglers on foot and also on horseback surrounded the area for safety. Each horse had a pony horse assigned to it as a safety precaution. All animals were introduced to each other prior to filming. Horses were acclimated to stalls and barn areas and were adequately fed and watered. Any injuries, exams or procedures depicted on the screen were simulated with the help of trainers, props, make-up and well-trained animals.
Numerous cameras were mounted around the rails of the track as well as on cars and trucks. The vehicles were driven by experienced drivers and kept at a safe distance from the horses. Horses, riders and trainers were given plenty of time to work with the moving cameras to become familiar with them before actually filming. These camera angles helped give the illusion that the horses were running faster and closer to each other than they really were. Horses never ran at full speed or around the entire track in one take. All horses were prepped and handled by experienced jockeys/exercise riders, grooms, hot walkers, starters and/or trainers. A mechanical horse was attached to a car and on tracks. This mechanical horse was used for scenes where horses got close to each other and for the close-ups of the actors riding on the horses. The mechanical horse was rigged on tracks so it could move back and forth and then bolted to a car so it could move quickly. While the actor rides the mechanical horse, live horses with stunt riders ran alongside the actor. The camera car had a set path on the track and the jockeys/horses were choreographed to get ahead and fallback around the dummy horse on the insert car. Use of a fan blowing the mane of the dummy horse made for more controlled movement around the actors and live horses. The live horses were introduced to the mechanical horse and were kept a safe distance from it. The speed was enhanced in post-production to make it appear as if the horses were going faster than they really were during intense racing sequences. Whenever possible, actors were on mechanical horses and stunt riders were on real horses and the two were edited together to make it appear as if the stunt rider was the actor.
Other Animals:
The goat and the dog that are seen in some scenes were introduced to the area and the other animals, actors, and crew with enough lead time before filming so that the animals would feel comfortable in the production environment. All areas were checked ahead of time and all cast and crew were instructed on the handling of the animals. Actors carried treats in their pockets and the goat and dog paid active attention to this detail. Chickens were placed on their marks after food was scattered and nearby trainers stood by. Exits from the barn were blocked off so that the goat could not wander. Sometimes goat and chickens were on a tether to keep them in one place.
In over 70 years of oversight on thousands of film and television productions, countless animal injuries and deaths have been prevented by American Humane Association’s presence on the set. Sadly, despite all precautions, accidents do occasionally happen, but as long as animals continue to be used in film and television entertainment, American Humane Association will continue to monitor their treatment and work to ensure their safety. We also research ways to continually improve and expand guidelines and safety protocols in order to proactively prevent harm and keep pace with technology and animal science.
UPDATE: March 14, 2012 – American Humane Association has just learned that HBO has cancelled the series “Luck.” Given the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of a horse on Monday and in light of two other fatalities in 2010 and 2011, this is arguably the best decision HBO could have made.
Following the death of a horse that reared up and fell while walking to its stall on Monday, we demanded that all production involving animals be shut down and insisted that the stoppage remain in force pending an investigation, which we will continue so that we might learn how, if possible, to prevent such incidents in the future and protect more animals.
Here at AHA, we remain committed and extra vigilant in ensuring that all television and film productions adhere to the highest standards and the strictest guidelines and protocols regarding animal actors.
We have worked for more than 70 years to ensure the proper treatment of animals in film, and will now follow up with HBO to find out the disposition of the horses in the Luck barn and ensure that they are retired properly.
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